


Cowboy Blues

by sidewinder



Category: Shanghai Noon (Movies)
Genre: First Kiss, First Time, M/M, Missing Scene, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-17
Updated: 2012-01-17
Packaged: 2017-10-29 17:17:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/322252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sidewinder/pseuds/sidewinder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story behind the subtext... or, just how DID Chon and Roy end up in that bathtub together? A selection of connected "missing" and expanded scenes from the movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cowboy Blues

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: This story started ages ago as a response to a "Truth or Dare" fic challenge... I don't even remember now where that challenge was issued! Thanks to RavenD and some of the wonderful folks of philly_slash for beta'ing and commenting. If it hadn't been for the p_s'ers encouragement, I don't think this story would ever have been finished! All remaining mistakes are my bad from continued fussing.
> 
> Disclaimer: "Shanghai Noon" and all characters belong to Spyglass Entertainment. They are used here without permission, no profit is being made.

Roy O'Bannon stood at the riverbank, basking in the glorious feeling of the warm breeze on his face, the sun on his back, and the pure, simple joy of being alive. Barely an hour before, he'd been certain that his life was at an end, to be cut woefully short in front of a cheering crowd thanks to a noose around his neck. Now, as he held that severed noose in his hand, he felt as if he had somehow been reborn during their insane escape. He saw so much around him that he'd never before taken the time to notice.

Not only that, but now he had someone with whom to share it all: Chon Wang, his new partner, and a man who seemed to be a perfect complement to Roy in nearly every way. Quiet and strong, trusting and honest to a fault, the Imperial Guard from China seemed too good to be true. Roy had worked with a lot of muscle-types before in his gang, but Chon was different. He was a man of honor, not the type to turn around and double-cross his partner on a deal, or to fire off a round into an innocent bystander just for the hell of it.

And Chon was also...

Well, he had also opened Roy's eyes to an entirely new set of experiences, to things Roy had never let himself admit that he wanted to explore. The reality of what Chon and he had shared was barely beginning to sink in to Roy's mind, what with everything else they'd been through in just a few short days. All Roy knew was that once this mission to rescue the princess was over, he definitely looked forward to spending some leisurely time getting to know his new partner, inside and out.

Yes, definitely inside. Inside, outside, upside-down... hell, he wanted to know it all. Touch it all. Taste it all. He licked his lips in anticipation and smiled up into the sunlight, stretching out his arms and hands, which were already tingling with anticipation.

As far as Roy was concerned, the future was looking good. It was looking _damn_ good, in fact, for the first time in his life that he could actually remember. He'd been struggling to make a name--and more importantly, a fortune--for himself out here in the West, and now maybe that dream was finally within his reach. He couldn't remember a time he'd felt happier...

"I'm going alone."

...at least until Chon said those three little words.

"What're... Chon, what're you talking about?" Roy asked, not understanding or believing he'd heard the other man right. He felt unease replacing his ecstatic mood almost instantaneously. He hadn't paid that close attention to Chon since the escape from the hanging, hadn't noticed until now how Chon's normal quietness had suddenly turned into an obvious brooding anger. What had happened? What had gone wrong?

"I heard you," Chon said flatly, barely looking at Roy as he fussed with his horse, getting ready to ride.

"You heard me, okay..."

"At Goldie's. You said... I wasn't your friend."

It took a moment for Roy's brain to sort though the alcohol-drenched memories of their night at Goldie's to realize what Chon was talking about. Then he remembered- -and got a sick, cold feeling inside, as he recalled exactly what he'd said when he thought no one but Fifi was listening...

'Roy, I never figured you for riding with a Chinaman.'

'I'm not exactly riding with him, Fifi. He's not my friend. I mean... he's just a Chinaman.'

Oh, hell.

Now, Roy had a healthy respect for words. When he couldn't fight his way out of a situation--and that was generally the case- -he found that he could almost always talk his way out instead. Words could be as effective a defensive weapon as a loaded gun, if you knew how to use them right. But with words, like a gun, you had to be careful. Fire off the wrong words and you could hurt someone entirely unintentionally.

Roy forgot about that sometimes, especially when he'd had a little too much to drink and his tongue was working faster than his brain. He hadn't meant what he'd said to Fifi--hadn't meant it the way Chon was obviously thinking. He'd panicked and said the first thing that had come to his mind, made the quickest excuse to dismiss what she had been suggesting, fearful of someone finding out the truth. "Chon... hold on a second, Chon, I was talking to a girl! I was... that was taken out of context, that's not..." Roy trailed off, words failing him. On the spot and under pressure, he couldn't come up with anything to say that could heal the damage his earlier words had caused.

"No. You were right," Chon answered, already on his horse and ready to leave. From his saddle he looked down at Roy, his usually warm and expressive brown eyes now cold, so distant that Roy hurt inside to look at them. "How could I ever be your friend? I'm just a Chinaman."

Chon turned his horse and rode away, not giving Roy a chance to reply. "Hold on, Chon, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it--"

"Sayonara, Roy," Chon interrupted, without so much as a look back over his shoulder in the outlaw's direction.

"I didn't mean it... I didn't..." Roy's protests died on his lips, for he knew they would do no good.

The situation didn't seem real; their friendship couldn't end this way. It couldn't! Moments before he had been so sure of things, happier than he could remember. Could he have been so stupid that he'd just managed to mess up the best thing to come into his life in years? All because of a few stray, careless words?

"Damn it!" Roy clenched his hands in frustration. He tossed away the hangman's noose he was still holding. So much for that bright future, everything he'd been so certain about a minute before. He shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked at the muddy ground. He dared a glance in Chon's departing direction, hoping that maybe the man was only playing around, and that he would turn back and give Roy a chance to explain himself.

He didn't. He didn't even turn around once to look back in Roy's direction as he rode off.

Roy felt a heaviness on his chest that was making it hard to breathe, hard to stand, hard to think of anything. He went to his horse and leaned against him for support. He'd lost friends and partners before, but it had never bothered him like this... never left him feeling so twisted up and hurting inside.

"Okay, don't panic, O'Bannon. So you messed things up--you'll set it right later," he told himself. He didn't have time to wallow in heartache, not with Chon heading off on his own to get in who knew what kind of trouble. Roy had to get himself together and go after him, at least follow him from a distance and be there in case Chon needed some help. Van Cleef and Lo Fong and that whole crew were bad business, and more than the Imperial Guardsman could handle alone, no matter how tough he was. He needed a partner right now, whether he wanted one or not.

Resolved, Roy quickly gathered his things and prepared his horse to ride.

* * * * *

Leaving Roy behind had proven more difficult than Chon had thought it would be. Twice he had nearly turned around already, wanting to believe that Roy hadn't really meant those things that he'd said, that he could believe the outlaw's excuses that he hadn't meant it.

Still, he could not get those hurtful words out of his ears.

'He's not my friend... he's just a Chinaman.'

Just a Chinaman. A nobody. Someone who was nothing but an easy mark, a gullible foreigner who would easily fall for the American outlaw's ruse of friendship.

Chon had known better than to trust him in the first place! That was what burned the Imperial Guard the most--his own stupidity. Roy O'Bannon was a robber, a bad man, and Chon had known that from the very start. One of Roy's gang was even responsible for the death of Chon's uncle. That was a loss that he had barely begun to process, having pushed his grief aside until he had proper time for it, after his mission to rescue the princess was over. Chon had really started to believe that despite his criminal ways, Roy was a good man at heart, just... misdirected, perhaps. He'd bought into Roy's seemingly earnest interest in the princess' fate. He'd bought into believing Roy had some genuine interest in Chon as well, interest in friendship, and maybe even more than that.

He sure had made a mess of things, all right. The worst of it was Chon still wanted, at heart, to believe Roy hadn't meant what he'd said. He knew he was foolish to feel that way, but he'd been accused of being a fool before--a fool with his head too high in the clouds to see where his feet were treading.

His horse's hooves splashed through the water of a narrow brook as he made his way through the forestland, riding toward the railroad camp where he suspected he'd find the princess stashed somewhere by Lo Fong. He hoped he was riding toward it, at least, though his sense of direction in this new land was not the best, and he had only a vague idea of where to actually find the camp. Chon straightened his posture and rolled his shoulders, trying to work out some of the tension in his body. He hurt-- all over--and he was so tired. He wanted to take a rest, to take a moment to sit down at the edge of the brook and relax. He worried at noticing the way his body was no longer as able to take abuse the way it used to, when he was younger. Roy may have admired his strength and fighting skills, but Chon had equally admired the other man's youth and energy, so boundless, so indefatigable...

Chon sighed. He was trying to forget about Roy, not dwell on him. Their "relationship", such as it was, was over and done with, and he had a mission to complete. Rescuing the princess was perhaps the one way he could redeem himself in his own eyes, and perhaps in the eyes of his fellow guards, and his ancestors.

And after that? He didn't know, and didn't hold out much hope that there would be an "after that" unless he was very, very lucky. Lo Fong was a cruel and heartless man, and he was also terribly dangerous. Chon knew his chance of success against him in a fair fight was slim. He also knew that in the battle to come, Lo Fong would do anything _except_ play fair. When he'd served in the Imperial Guard, before turning traitor on his countrymen, Lo Fong had always been trouble--pushing around his fellow soldiers, finding a way for others to take the blame whenever he did something wrong. He'd never respected authority and always put his own interests first.

Chon glanced up at the sky. Only another few hours until nightfall, he estimated. If he didn't find the railroad camp soon, he would just have to give up and start heading toward the mission for tomorrow's exchange of gold for the princess. He hoped to find Pei Pei before then, especially as he had no idea how his three companions-- the other Imperial Guards, the ones protecting the gold--had fared on their journey. If they didn't make it to the mission with the ransom, the princess would be dead. Chon would not let that happen. He would not let another death weigh down his conscience.

He tried to push all thoughts of Roy out of his mind, and concentrate instead on his progress through the forest. He had to find Pei Pei, had to do things right, for once in his life.

* * * * *

Roy followed Chon, as far behind the Imperial Guard and his horse as he could without letting him fall completely out of sight. Roy knew he might not be the greatest outlaw, but he was good at laying low when need be. He saw no signs that Chon realized he was being followed, though Roy did stop and fall back a bit whenever Chon stopped his horse to look around, sometimes changing course, other times just continuing on in the same direction as before.

"Damn stubborn fool," Roy said aloud. He felt fairly certain that he knew where Chon was headed, or at least who he hoped to find--Lo Fong and the princess. Though they had been taken to Lo Fong's headquarters with sacks covering their heads, it had been obvious by the sights and sounds surrounding them that his headquarters were at a railroad construction camp. Roy had a good idea where that camp was located, not far from Carson City, but from the way Chon kept stopping and changing direction, it didn't seem as if the Imperial Guard had such a clear idea of where he was going. But Roy still held back, carefully keeping his distance even as Chon kept adjusting his course. He wasn't going to reveal his presence until or if he was needed.

Roy ran his hand over his belt, distracted by the odd weight in his gun holster. Miraculously enough, he and Chon had found most of their belongings stashed under the driver's seat of the horse carriage when they'd escaped. There'd even been a pair of pistols there, but Roy's own, personalized gun wasn't one of them. He missed his gun; he felt uncomfortable not carrying it, almost unbalanced. He'd carried that gun for so long he considered it a part of himself, even if he wasn't that good of a shot with it. He didn't have many belongings, and he didn't like losing what few things he truly considered _his._

He tried to shake off those thoughts and stay focused on trailing Chon... but thinking of Chon, too, left him feeling as if part of himself was gone. He realized that he hadn't taken long in forgetting his original plan of just playing the man as a way to get to the Emperor's gold. He'd started to like the guy too much to do that... started to like him far more than he knew he should. But Chon was a hard guy _not_ to like. He was just so earnest and honest about everything, so innocent in ways that were really refreshing to find here in the West.

And Chon was so...

...Roy closed his eyes and saw the Chinaman's radiant smile, his amazing body...

...so damn beautiful, too.

Roy hadn't wanted to admit that to himself at first, because he'd never let himself acknowledge such feelings before--not for another man. He'd known, or at least always believed, that such feelings were... well, they just weren't right. If he hadn't gotten so stinking drunk with Chon that afternoon at Goldie's, he probably would have kept those feelings buried as deep as always, locked away in a part of his heart that he didn't want to acknowledge was there.

Maybe it would have been better if those feelings had stayed there; maybe that was the only place they belonged, locked away, too dangerous to play around with. Roy didn't know any longer. All he knew was that it was too late now to go back and undo things, too late to push those feelings back down now that he'd let them come to light.

He carried a weary and aching heart as he rode along, following Chon's progress. He needed all of his strength of will to keep his distance and hold back, when all he wanted to do was rush up to the other man and try to apologize one more time for what he'd said. But he knew now was not the time to do it. Chon had a temper, all right, and he would need some time for that temper to cool off before he'd even listen to a word Roy had to say. So instead he hung back, and allowed himself to think back on the _good_ things that had happened that night at Goldie's--before Fifi had walked in on them, before everything had gone so wrong thanks to Roy's big damn mouth...

"Uno mas?"

"No mas, Chon. No mas," Roy groaned. No more drinking games for him tonight. Chon had just knocked the whiskey bottle to the floor, and Roy was feeling too lazy to get up and fetch the extra one sitting on the shelf above him. Too lazy, and too drunk. Any more alcohol and he'd be sick for sure. As it was, he was just floating in a perfectly happy, bleary daze of contentment.

Everything seemed to be falling right in place for the outlaw, for once in his life. The law might be hot on his trail but that was nothing really new, and at least that showed that his name was starting to mean something in these parts! The fortune of the Emperor's Gold seemed to be getting closer by the minute... Roy could practically feel those coins sliding between his fingertips. Chon Wang was turning out to be a good guy after all, as well. Roy decided he was going to have to alter his initial plans and figure out some way to cut Chon in on the gold, save that princess he was so worried about, and see if he would be interested in hanging around and working some more jobs as Roy's partner. He could sure use someone with Chon's physical skills on his side.

As the alcohol continued to work its magic on him, freeing all of his thoughts and inhibitions, a wicked idea came to Roy's mind. "How 'bout we play a new game, Chon?" he asked, peering out at the other man from under the rim of his hat.

"New game?" Chon answered.

"Yeah, you taught me a Chinese game, now I'll teach you an American one. It's called 'Truth or Dare'. I bet you don't have that one back in the Forbidden City."

Chon shook his head. "No, I've never heard of it. How do you play?"

"It's easy. See, I ask you, 'Truth or dare?', and if you say 'Truth' then I get to ask you any question--any question at all--and you have to answer it truthfully. No lies, no backing out, you gotta tell the truth. But if you think I'm gonna ask something that you don't want to answer, you can say 'Dare'. Then instead of asking you a question, I get to dare you to do anything and you have to do it. Like... like I could dare you to go out in the hall wearing nothing but that hat and sing 'Ten Little Indians', something like that."

Chon frowned. "This is supposed to be a fun game?"

"Oh yeah! Sure it is. 'Cause once I'm done, then it's your turn to do the same thing to me--you get to ask me 'Truth or dare', and it goes on and on from there. The loser is whoever backs down on a dare or refuses answer a question."

Chon gave this explanation a few moments' consideration and then shrugged. "Okay, I'll give it a try."

"All right. So truth or dare, which is it gonna be?"

"Truth," Chon answered.

Roy considered his question carefully, wondering whether to start with something simple, or get right to the questions he wanted to ask. He felt nervous still about asking them. He looked at Chon, and thought about the way the man had touched him on the arm just a few minutes ago. Roy had freaked out for a moment, but at the same time, Chon's touch had left him feeling a little funny inside. A little excited, maybe, in a way that he normally only felt when a woman touched him like that. So he worked up his courage and just blurted out, "You ever do it with a guy, Chon?"

"Do it?" Chon repeated, frowning in puzzlement.

"You know. _It._ Sex. You ever have sex with a guy?"

Chon shrugged and answered, "Yes," as if it were no big deal at all. "Is that it? Is it my turn?"

"Yeah, your turn." Well, that cleared up _one_ point of curiosity in Roy's mind. If Chon had said no, he would have put aside the touch on the arm and some of the other things that had passed between them as nothing more than Chon being a touchy-feely kind of guy. But now there was a definite chance it had meant something more. Roy just had to make up his mind whether he wanted to find out for sure.

The outlaw's musings were interrupted by Chon asking him, "Okay. Truth or dare, Roy."

Roy studied Chon's expression, trying to guess what he might ask and whether he'd really want to answer it. His expression looked innocent enough, but then again it usually did--even when the man was getting ready to kick some serious ass. "Truth!" Roy decided.

"Okay." Chon paused for a moment and then he asked, very seriously, "Did you _really_ dig yourself out of the sand with my chopsticks?"

Roy stared at Chon--that had definitely not been a question he'd been expecting. Roy laughed and answered, "Like I told you before, Chon, you bet I did! Took a good long while, but hell, if I didn't do it, I was as good as dead. A little thing like impending death can motivate a man to do miraculous things."

Chon frowned. He looked upset. "I should not have left you there like that, Roy. I'm sorry. I was just so angry, about my uncle..."

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay? I told you before I don't carry a grudge. I meant it. I would've been dead for sure if you hadn't given me those sticks, so you still saved my life, see?"

Chon nodded, and smiled a little. "Okay. But I am still sorry."

"Apology accepted." Roy reached for his shot glass to propose they drink on it, but then remembered the bottle had fallen to the ground. He was still feeling too lazy to get up and open the other one, so he just laid back in the tub with a sigh and said, "Next round. Truth or dare, Chon."

"Truth."

"Truth..." Roy repeated, wondering what exactly to ask for his next question. He supposed he should get right to the point. If Chon _did_ swing that way, Roy wasn't risking too much by just wanting to know if he was looking to swing in Roy's direction. "Okay. Tell me the truth--when you touched my arm a few minutes ago... was that an invitation?"

Chon answered with his own question, an evasive, "What do you mean, invitation?"

"You know what I mean. To do _it_... with me."

"I didn't mean to upset you, Roy."

"You didn't, Chon. I'm just curious. And you still owe me an answer."

"Okay... Yes. But I thought... never mind."

"No never mind," Roy insisted. He reached over to touch Chon's arm, trying to be reassuring. He wasn't upset about it. In fact he was growing more curious and potentially interested by the minute. "You just surprised me, that's all. It's cool. Don't worry about it."

Chon smiled. Roy realized he was still holding Chon's arm, and it felt really nice--real strong, and hard, and warm. "So come on, tell me, Chon, but you thought what, that I was interested too?" Roy grinned, and ran his tongue lightly over his lips, all the while keeping his eyes focused squarely on the other man's. A tiny voice in the back of his head was screaming, 'What the fuck are you doing, Roy? Flirting?! With a guy?!' But it was easy to ignore that voice when his cock was telling him that doing it with Chon might not be such a bad thing. It could be downright interesting, and certainly something new. Roy liked trying new things, especially when he was thoroughly sloshed and didn't have to think too much about what he was doing.

"I wasn't sure. I thought... maybe." Their gazes held, as Roy kept holding on to Chon's arm. Someone was going to have to make a move soon, Roy knew. His pulse started to quicken at the prospect.

Chon broke eye contact and looked at the water in his tub. "This water is starting to get cold," he observed.

"Really? Mine still feels pretty good," Roy said, and after a pause he realized he'd been handed the perfect opening. "You want to join me?" he asked.

Chon looked across at him with some surprise. Roy tried to stay cool, even if he didn't quite believe the words that had come forth from his own lips. With a smile, Chon asked, "Is that an invitation, Roy?"

"Maybe it is, yeah," Roy answered, grinning like a fool even as his heart was pounding like mad. Chon didn't wait too long before he got up and out of his bathtub, obviously accepting Roy's invitation.

Sweet mercy, Chon was a sight, all wet and soapy and naked, all muscles and golden skin and that braid that trailed nearly down to his ankles. Roy swallowed nervously. He pulled his legs up closer to his body to give Chon room to get in the tub. Even so, their bare legs brushed together as Chon settled in, the slight contact jolting Roy harder than a shot of rotgut.

"You're right," Chon said. "It is warmer."

"Uh huh," Roy agreed, suddenly feeling extremely tongue-tied. It had been one thing--still abstract, still just a wild possibility--when they'd been sitting in separate tubs. Now, naked together, limbs touching, panic mixed with Roy's curiosity- driven desire. Could he really do this? Did he really want to? He wasn't sure.

Fortunately Chon saved him from his frozen moment of indecision. "Truth or dare, Roy," he asked, and Roy blinked, having forgotten for a moment the game they'd been playing.

"Hmm..." Roy stalled, debating his answer. Well, the game wasn't much fun if _someone_ didn't make a dare, he thought to himself. "All right, Chon, dare me. I wanna see what you can come up with."

Chon looked surprised at Roy's choice, then frowned in concentration. After a moment he gave Roy a small smile and said, "I dare you to close your eyes--and not move."

"Close my eyes? That's it? That's not much of a dare," he protested, though he did as he was told. After a few seconds, though, he did start to get nervous, thinking about Chon there so close to him. Then he could feel the other man moving even closer, and he had a feeling about what was coming next, and he was caught between a panicked urge to flee and yearning to stay, to not be afraid of what was going to happen.

He felt Chon's lips against his, touching him for just the lightest, testing kiss. The contact was barely there, yet at the same time the gentle kiss became the center of Roy's entire world, his whole existence.

In that brief moment, he _knew._ He knew that this was right. He wasn't afraid. He knew he wanted this, and wanted it more than anything.

When the contact was finally broken, Roy opened his eyes to find them met by Chon's, which were gazing at him with gentle amusement.

"Can I move now?" Roy asked. Chon nodded, and smiled a little more. Roy closed the few inches between them and kissed Chon, starting as softly as the other man had, just becoming aware of the soft fullness of the other man's lips. He felt those lips part, slightly, inviting him to explore further. Roy's head was swimming from the mixture of too much alcohol and too much desire, the newness of this whole experience sending his normally high sex drive into complete overload.

He felt Chon's hands on his shoulders, now, massaging him, and Roy's skin felt on fire from their touch. The fire settled in his belly, slowly simmering, slowly growing more intense by the moment. Power seemed to flow from Chon's hands as they moved from Roy's shoulders, down his arms, then about his waist. There was such strength in every fingertip, strength and such skill. Roy shuddered and finally drew away from the kiss, too overwhelmed by the sensations and needing a moment to catch his breath.

"Roy?" Chon asked gently. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah... I mean, wow... I'm... wow..." Roy muttered incoherently. He met Chon's eyes and smiled at the clearly amused expression on the man's face. It was all so strange, so unreal, Roy thought. He'd always thought that there wasn't a place out here for a cowboy who would dare have feelings for another man--at least not in a gang of roughneck outlaws like Roy was used to riding with. But Chon didn't seem to know these things. He seemed to take it as all perfectly natural and all right. Maybe it was different in the East, Roy thought. Roy didn't know, and he didn't really care. He just knew that kissing and being touched by Chon felt nice--real nice--and that he very definitely wanted more of it, and whatever else might follow.

Chon was waiting for him to make the next move, to prove he really was okay with what was happening. Roy quickly took the initiative, going for another kiss, another taste of this man he wanted so badly. He reached for Chon's body, ran his soapy hands up and down his smooth back, the solid muscles of his shoulders and arms. Chon felt like steel covered in silk, his muscles so solid and strong beneath the soft skin. Roy wanted to feel every inch of that hard body--pressed up against him, under him, over him, _everywhere._ Unfortunately the confining walls of the bathtub made such things rather difficult. He whimpered in frustration, digging his fingers into his partner's back.

Chon started kissing Roy down his jawline, down to the sensitive underside of his chin. "Damn, oh... damn you're good at that," Roy gasped, unprepared for the intensity of the sensation. "They teach you how to do that at Imperial Guard School, or did you... just get this good on your own..."

"Roy..." Chon said softly, kissing his way toward the cowboy's ear.

"What?"

"Don't talk. Just relax."

'Relax. Just shut _up,_ Roy!' the outlaw scolded himself, trying to quiet that mouth of his that never seemed to know when to stop yammering away. Chon's lips descended upon his own soon enough and made speaking rather difficult and far from Roy's thoughts once again.

Chon eventually ended the kiss, and smiled a rather wicked little smile at Roy. "Stand up," he urged.

"What?"

"Stand up."

"Why?" Roy asked, suddenly growing apprehensive.

"Trust me, Roy," Chon assured him.

Roy carefully stood, needing a moment to find his balance. He nearly slipped, but Chon's hands were quickly on his thighs, steadying him. He felt vulnerable, standing there before Chon, his erection bobbing up over Chon's head. But Chon smiled reassuringly at him, and he raised himself to his knees before Roy, still holding on firmly to Roy's thighs.

'Oh God,' Roy thought, as Chon's gaze traveled up and down Roy's body, pausing then right on Roy's cock.

"Oh, God!" Roy cried out, when Chon leaned in and licked the tip of his erection. Chon's grip on Roy's thighs tightened, a good thing as the outlaw was sure he was going to lose his balance. Chon teased him with a few more licks and swirls of the tongue, each stroke eliciting shudders and moans from Roy, who just couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't believe he wanted this so bad, but Chon kneeling there before him was the hottest thing he'd ever seen. And then Chon wrapping his lips around Roy's swollen cock and then sucking it into his mouth was definitely the hottest thing he'd ever _felt._ A strangled cry escaped his throat as those wet lips kept moving up and down his erection, as the intense heat of that mouth enveloped him and became the only thing of which he was aware.

Roy couldn't hold on for long. The sensations were too surprising, too amazing, and his system was ill prepared for their intensity. Before he knew it he was coming, shuddering, spilling out his seed into Chon's hot, hungry mouth. Only Chon's steady grip on his thighs held him upright and kept him from falling as his entire body shook with pleasure.

Roy needed Chon's guidance to make it back down into the water without falling. He met Chon's eyes, and saw nothing but amazingly pure, beautiful joy. He wore far too innocent an expression for a man who'd just shown he was no stranger to the most adult of activities. They kissed again, and Roy could taste himself in the other man's mouth. He wondered what Chon would taste like in his own, even though he wasn't quite sure he was ready to do that. Part of him wanted to, and knew that it would be selfish to not give back what he'd received, but the idea made him nervous. He'd never done anything like that before, and he didn't want to fuck it up, especially not after Chon had done such an amazing job on him.

Chon again, however, took the gentle lead in the situation. After a long, drawn-out kiss, he took Roy's right hand and kissed it, then placed it on his chest and guided it down his torso. Roy got the idea.

He paused, only slightly, before going any further down. He'd never touched another man there before. Then he continued on, felt the stiff shaft that met his hand, ran his fingers slowly down its length. "Nice..." he observed, appreciating its dimensions and firmness. Chon moaned Roy's name softly.

Roy brought his hand all the way down to Chon's balls, then up again, exploring with his fingers while his eyes stayed fixed on watching Chon's reactions to his touch. Chon tilted his head back, his mouth opening to form soft "ohs" of pleasure as Roy caressed him. Roy's free hand rubbed the Chinaman's thighs, which were hard as granite and irresistible to his touch. Roy could just imagine what it would feel like to have those thighs wrapped around his body, to feel the length of hard flesh in his hand instead buried deep inside him. Roy shuddered, wondering where that desire had come from! The thought frightened him as much as it turned him on. Maybe someday. For right now, this was good enough. More than good enough. This was wonderful.

"Roy..." Chon moaned his name again. Roy quickened and increased the pressure of his strokes, until Chon's moans were no longer soft and his breath was coming in heavy, panted gasps. Roy couldn't tear his eyes from the other man's face, the brown eyes staring back at him, lost in pleasure, in longing, in the most desperate need. Roy could already feel the desire for more growing within his own body once again. Soon Chon was arching up, meeting the strokes of Roy's hand, harder and faster, until he finally let out a sharp, loud cry and lay back, trembling, against the tub. Roy's grip on Chon's erection suddenly felt extra slick, and he kept stroking it until the spent penis was completely softened, watching with delight as Chon continued to shudder and gasp for breath under his attentions.

An awkward few minutes passed in the aftermath, as both men seemed lost for words, uncertain where things would go from there. Roy suggested another round of Chon's drinking game; he needed a little time to process what had just happened and the game might prove a good distraction. Chon agreed to it, and Roy got out of the tub long enough to get that spare bottle of whiskey. They kept playing, getting even more seriously drunk than before, pausing only for soapy-wet kisses and to decorate each other with handfuls of soap bubbles.

They probably could have probably kept going at it all night if they hadn't been interrupted. But Fifi had come in, discovering the two men sharing the tub and totally shit-faced. Roy had forgotten his whispered promise to the lady to come visit her as soon as he'd cleaned up, and she had finally grown tired of putting off other potential customers and gone looking for him.

So he'd told her he'd be out in a few minutes, and had somehow staggered out of the tub without falling and made himself decent. Chon had seemed too drunk and too satisfied to put up much of a fuss as Roy prepared to leave; Roy suggested he find an unoccupied room and crash out for a while.

Obviously, Chon hadn't quite followed his advice, and instead had been eavesdropping on what Roy and Fifi were up to. Roy might have been seriously pissed about that little invasion of his privacy, if he wasn't so embarrassed about what he'd been overheard saying.

Roy tried to shake of the memories of everything that had happened, knowing it did him no good to keep brooding on them. 'Maybe this is all for the best,' he tried to tell himself. 'That kind of thing... people don't think it's right, anyway. I don't need _that_ kind of a reputation, not if I want to be a world-famous outlaw. So just put those thoughts back in the back of your head like you always did before, Roy. Stick with women when it comes to sex; it's a lot easier that way.'

Easier, sure. But now that he knew what it was like, with Chon... could it ever be anywhere near as satisfying? He didn't think so. No, he thought he was seriously screwed, one way or another.

Hours passed, and the sun was getting low on the horizon. Sunset would be upon them at any moment. Whether by luck or some sort of divine guidance, Chon had found his way to the railroad workers' camp. Roy shook his head, marveling at Chon's audacity as the Imperial Guard rode his horse boldly into camp, not bothering to be cautious or avoid attention. Roy lost Chon when the man got off his horse and disappeared into the crowd of workers, unable to see his friend from the distance he kept.

"Be careful, Chon," Roy warned, thinking aloud. He didn't like the situation one bit. There was no way Chon's little visit would go unnoticed by Lo Fong and his gang- -especially if his plan was to find the princess and stage some sort of rescue. Roy could see Lo Fong himself, on a horse outside the elaborately decorated railroad car that served as the man's headquarters.

A woman's voice rang out from somewhere in the camp, disrupting the quiet murmurs of activity. Fong clearly heard it and wasted no time heading toward the apparent source of the noise.

Had it been the princess? Roy had a pretty strong hunch it was, and that he'd better not waste any time seeing if he could help with the rescue--or with simply saving Chon. Even if this was a suicide mission, he had to try to help. He wouldn't let his friend think he had to fight this battle alone.

Everything happened so quickly, then, that Roy scarcely had time to think, time to contemplate the risks he was taking. In the darkness of night that had by now descended, he was able to ride right through the camp without drawing attention to himself--there seemed to be too much chaos all around for anyone to notice him. He ignored the shouts and screams of the workers and stayed focused on following the direction he'd seen Lo Fong ride off in, figuring that was where he'd find Chon. He saw another man on a horse, keeping people away as Fong and Chon fought. Roy grabbed the first weapon he could find as he approached--a large shovel--and flung it at the man before he'd barely had time to notice Roy's approach. The man fell from his horse, and Lo Fong whipped around, obviously shocked by the interruption.

From the looks of things Roy had arrived just in time. Fong had his sword drawn and Chon seemed stunned from the fight, weakly holding a defensive stance. Roy pulled out his gun and aimed it at Fong.

"Reach for the sky, Baldy!" If the bastard so much as made a threatening move in Chon's direction, Roy would shoot him dead where he stood. "That's right, it's Roy," he said, tipping his hat toward the combatants. "Am I interrupting?"

Roy caught Chon's look of complete, bewildered surprise. "So I followed you, so what?" he said. "What am I supposed to do, let you wander off? You're a greenhorn! You'll get yourself killed out here."

Roy thought he almost saw a smile on Chon's face at his words... or it could have simply been a grimace of pain. No, Chon was definitely not looking good right now. The princess was nowhere that Roy could see, but he wasn't about to go looking for her in the madness surrounding them. Fong's reinforcements had already shown up, with guns firing. "Come on, we gotta adios out of here, partner!" Roy shouted at Chon. "Come on!"

After only a moment's hesitation, Chon leapt up on Roy's horse, grabbing the cowboy tight about his shoulders. "Don't forget, we've got a princess to save." Roy pushed his horse hard, riding fast and not looking back until he was certain they weren't being followed and were, for the moment at least, out of harm's way. When he finally looked back, he saw the camp behind them, nothing but a distant valley of lights. Behind him as well but much closer was Chon, whose eyes were on neither the camp nor Roy but somewhere else... somewhere far away.

Roy turned back and urged his horse to continue. He thanked God he'd gotten there fast enough to save Chon. Of course that could prove to be the easy task of the evening, Roy knew. He still had the perhaps impossible job of saving their friendship ahead of him.

He didn't dare head into Carson City, not now, with Van Cleef no doubt on their trail and the town all abuzz from their escape from the hangman. He headed instead for the abandoned farm on the far outskirts of town he used occasionally as a hideout--the place he'd taken Chon just a few days before, to teach him some things about being a cowboy. It wasn't much, but it was shelter for them and the horse for the night, and he had a few supplies stashed there that might come in handy.

Chon remained silent the entire ride, but at least he had not protested his rescue. Roy took that as at least a small positive sign, given how stubborn the Chinaman could be. "All right, we can rest here for the night," Roy announced as he rode the horse over to the barn, waiting for Chon to dismount before getting off himself.

Roy barely had a chance to stretch out his ride-weary legs before he heard a whinnying cry not far behind them. The outlaw quickly reached for his gun and squinted into the darkness, on the alert for trouble. Had someone followed them from the labor camp after all? "Chon, careful..." he warned as the Imperial Guard walked toward the sound.

"No, it's all right," Chon said. Looking out to the woods he made a loud "pawk- pawk!" sound, which was returned by enthusiastic whinny and the rustling of branches as the horse revealed itself.

"Fido...?" Roy said in disbelief, as the loyal horse strode out to greet his master. "Dang, Chon, for a greenhorn you've sure got a way with horses."

Chon didn't answer. He just patted the horse's nuzzle and let Fido lick the side of his face. Roy shook his head and smiled; Chon inspired near instant loyalty and affection from animals as well as humans. Roy gave the two of them a few minutes to reunite while he tied up his own horse in the stables, and lit up a lantern to give them some more light.

"So what happened back there?" Roy finally asked, once Chon had led Fido into the stable. "Did you find the princess?"

"I found her, but she told me she did not want to leave."

"What's up with that?"

"She wants to stay to help the workers in the camp. From what I saw, they are treated no better than slaves by Lo Fong." Chon shook his head. "I went to save her... and all she did was order me to leave."

"Huh. Well, that complicates things, all right. So what're you gonna do about the exchange for the gold... isn't it tomorrow?"

Chon nodded. "I don't know what to do. Maybe there is nothing I _can_ do."

"Don't sell yourself short, Chon, I'm sure you'll think of something. You 'n me, we'll take care of the princess somehow."

" _I_ will take care of her," Chon answered, his temper flaring up sharply. "This is my business, Roy, not yours."

"Dammit, Chon, I save your ass from Baldy back there and you still don't think I'm on your side?"

"I think you want the gold, and that is all. You don't care about the princess. Or me."

Roy shook his head. "That is so _not true._ Look, I'm sorry about what I said, okay? I'm _not_ doing this because of the gold. I was just talkin' shit back there, at Goldie's. I don't know what got into me. I was drunk, and then Fifi started askin' me questions... I was caught off-guard, I was..."

"Embarrassed to be my friend?" Chon prompted, when Roy didn't immediately continue.

The accusation stopped Roy for a moment. "No, not the friend part, Chon... the _other_ part. You know, you, me, what happened... truth or dare... and after that... I mean, people don't really accept that kind of thing out here. And that's what Fifi was _really_ asking me about, 'cause I mean, what else was she gonna think after finding us in the same damn tub together? I was just trying to cover up for _both_ of us. But I didn't mean it, not the way you heard it."

Chon's anger seemed to lessen, though his gaze revealed the hurt that was still there. "You talk, talk, talk, Roy. How do I know when I can believe what you're saying? I'm not stupid. You weren't interested in helping me at all until I told you about the Emperor's gold."

"Okay, I'll admit that's all I was thinking about, at first. What do you expect? I'm an outlaw--I steal for a living. I didn't figure on starting to care about what happened to you 'n the princess... didn't figure on starting to like you so much." Roy looked down at the ground, gathering his courage to say more. Chon was silent. Roy took a deep breath and reached for Chon's arm, looked at him straight on and said, "Believe me when I say this, okay? I care about you. I don't know why, when you ain't been nothin' but a pain in the ass who's nearly gotten me killed more times than I want to count in the last few days. But... I really like you, and I want to help. I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise. What's it gonna take for you to believe that?"

Roy felt some relief that Chon had finally given him a chance to at least speak his mind and explain himself. The rest was up to the other man, now, and whether he wanted to make this work as much as Roy did or not.

Roy saw the hesitation still there in the other man's eyes. "I don't know," Chon answered his question. Chon dropped his eyes and looked as frustrated as Roy felt about the whole mess. Roy started to reach out with his free hand, to just touch Chon, but the Imperial Guard turned away from him. "Tomorrow will be a difficult day. We should rest."

"Yeah, I guess so." Roy tried not to sound too disappointed. Chon hadn't insisted he leave, so he supposed things might be on the way to working out between them. "I've got a couple blankets stashed around here somewhere..." he trailed off, walking off toward the other end of the stables where he kept his supplies. He pulled a sack out from under a pile of hay, checked through its contents to make sure everything was as he'd left it the last time. They were-- blankets and some clean clothes, bullets, even a little cash. He brought out two blankets and gave one to Chon.

"Thank you," Chon said softly, shaking it out and then laying it on a flat patch of hay on the ground. Roy put out the lantern and spread his blanket next to Chon's. He then eased himself down onto the ground with a sigh. Pain worked its way up and down his spine, his weary muscles relieved at finally having a chance to rest, but still protesting that it would have to come on such hard ground. It didn't matter how long he'd been out on the road--he still missed sleeping in a real bed. 'Or against a warm, soft body,' he thought, glancing over at his companion. He sighed; that wasn't going to happen tonight. He turned over onto his side, away from the other man, and said, "'Night, Chon."

"Good night, Roy."

Roy closed his eyes, quite certain that it wasn't going to be a very good night for either of them.

* * * * *

Chon couldn't sleep. He could normally sleep on anything, any time as he needed it, but rest wouldn't come to him on that night.

He knew he needed it badly; he felt it in every muscle of his aching, abused body. But he was too worried about tomorrow, trying to come up with a plan for saving the princess. His mind refused to rest. Troubles and tension weighed too heavily upon him--and a major source of his tension lay there on the hay right next to him.

Chon was still torn as to whether to be thankful Roy was there, or suspicious as to what the man's true motives were. He so badly wanted to believe Roy's assertions that he hadn't meant those things he'd said, that the outlaw wasn't just trailing along with him in order to steal the gold. Chon wanted to put aside his lingering doubts as purely part of his stubborn nature and wounded pride.

But if he were wrong... if he could be risking the princess' safety by bringing Roy back into this business--and risking his heart as well--then he would never be able to forgive himself.

He really didn't know what to do.

If only Roy wasn't lying so close to him... close enough that Chon could pick up the cowboy's scent with every breath--sweat and leather mingled together, with a lingering, faint hint of the scented bath oil from the previous night at Goldie's.

He could tell Roy was not asleep yet, either, and Chon felt rather guilty about that. Had he not pulled away from Roy before and suggested they go to bed, perhaps they could have had things out for good and put these troubles behind them. Chon knew that he was, quite often, too stubborn for his own good. Stubborn, and prideful--he didn't like being made out to be a fool, just because he was a stranger, a foreigner.

Still, he thought to himself, he would be a bigger fool to let his pride stand in the way of accepting a genuine apology.

He rolled over toward the other man... and in the darkness, he could just make out Roy's face, his eyes, which were open and focused on him.

"Can't sleep either, huh?" Roy asked.

"No."

"Worried about the princess?"

"About her. About... everything." Chon rolled onto his back, eyes on the roof overhead. "What am I doing here, Roy? Who am I to think I can save the princess? Did I tell you... they only let me come to America, with the other guards... because they were certain I would get myself killed, and they would be happy to get rid of me?"

"Damn, that's pretty cold."

"I told you, I'm a screw-up. It would have been better..."

When Chon didn't continue, Roy pressed, "What? What would've been better?"

"If your man, Wallace... if he'd killed me, instead of my uncle," Chon said, realizing how that dark feeling of guilt had been in the back of his mind for days, pushed down along with his grief.

"What?! Stop, that's crazy talk. That's bullshit."

"No, not bullshit. It's true. My uncle was a good man, respected, not like me. He was the only family I had... I should have been taking care of him, not daydreaming about saving the princess."

"What's done is done, Chon. You can't beat yourself up over that... you had no idea what was gonna happen." There was a pause, and then Chon felt the light, warm touch of Roy's hand on his chest. "You're a good man, Chon, whether you want to believe it or not."

Chon didn't push Roy's hand away. It felt good, as had the cowboy's words of reassurance. Not many people ever said things like that to him... none, actually, that he could think of, except for his uncle. After a time, he covered Roy's hand with his own and squeezed it. "So are you, Roy."

Chon heard Roy let out a sigh of relief. He felt it too, the tension between them at last being released. Chon hoped he wasn't making a mistake, trusting Roy this time, but he had to go with what his heart was telling him was right.

At last Chon even began to feel his body relaxing enough for sleep, worries for tomorrow drifting away from his mind. He was aware of Roy's fingers slipping from his hand, moving in slow, light circles over his chest. That was pleasant and gentle enough. Then those fingers began to move lower, down to his stomach, growing bolder and more insistent by the minute. That touch was beginning to awaken at least certain parts of his body, despite the rest of him badly aching for sleep.

"Roy..." he began to protest, stopping the hand before it moved even further southward.

"Hmmm?"

"Need sleep."

"Think you need somethin' else..." Roy challenged, sliding a little closer. "I know I do..."

Chon was amused to see Roy so daring now, compared to the rather hesitant young man who'd been scared of his own feelings just the other night. And it was indeed flattering to know that this young, handsome man found him so desirable. "Tomorrow, when everything is over..." Chon offered, not as strongly discouraging Roy's advances as he knew he should.

"Not tomorrow. We might not have a tomorrow," Roy said, a serious edge in the man's voice that Chon understood. They'd had good fortune so far, but also had come very close to death. There were no assurances that they would succeed.

So when Roy rolled in against him, Chon offered no further protests. He wrapped his arms around the younger man and let their shared passion burn away his remaining doubts and fears. Tomorrow, and the rest of the world and all of the problems it presented, were for that moment very, very far away.


End file.
